Tag: Beth J. Bates

Posted on

Excellent Videos – Public Good Challenge

At the Friday meeting, Draxtor Despres gave us a great presentation on the public good challenge, produced for the Network
Culture Project at USC. Drax is working on a three part video series to represent the project and parts 1 and 2 are now complete. I took some time to watch them this morning and I have to say that they are VERY well done and incredibly informative. I would encourage everyone to take a look.

Network Culture Project – Public Good Challenge Part 1

Network Culture Project – Public Good Challenge Part 2

I am very interested to see the last segment. Great work, Drax – please keep ’em coming!

Written by: Beth J. Bates

Posted on

How Do I Get My Volunteers Involved in SL?

As a relative newbie in SL and NPC, I am still learning pretty much everything. I would love for my NP organization to have a presence in SL, however, I am relatively sure that I am the only member of my nonprofit that has an account. And while I am happy to do what I can to help out my org, I simply can’t be the only person supporting our presence. We are an all volunteer NP which adds to the challenge.

I would love to hear from more seasoned NPC members regarding how they were able to rally the troops and get them involved. My volunteers are just now getting Facebook profiles and blogging. And Twitter is light years away. How do you get your team over the initial shock or the virtual world and get them excited about helping? Have you recruited volunteers in-world? Please share your nuggets of wisdom.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

Posted on

Promoting Causes Inside Second Life – For Real-World Impact

There is a fantastic, comprehensive report on the WIKI compiled and delivered by Anika Pastorelli (aka Sandra Bettger) called Nonprofits and Second Life: Promoting Causes Inside Second Life – For Real-World Impact.

The report details the benefits of maintaining and operating a presence within Second Life and how it breaks down into real-life organizational missions. She’s also included the challenges and future opportunities for nonprofits considering new technology and the shift of new audiences.

I personally think that this is a must-read for anyone considering a virtual presence for their nonprofit and look forward to reading it myself!

Thanks, Anika!

Written by: Beth J. Bates

Posted on

SL-BaSE – the Second Life Business and Social Expo

From Eschatos Graves…

As was noted this week in the Metaverse Messenger, we’ve started
up a new division, Metaverse Conference Management, to develop a new series of meetings. The first of these is SL-BaSE, the Second Life Business and Social Expo, which is (obviously) going to focus specifically on Second Life.

Details:
What: ….. SL-BaSE
When: …. June 4-7, 2009
Where: … Portland, OR
Web: …… http://sl-base.com

We’re splitting up the Business and Social parts into individual conferences, with the Business Conference running on Thursday and Friday, and the Social Conference running on Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, on all four days there is going to be an exhibition hall featuring vendors displaying their SL-oriented products and services, from in-world scripts and gadgets, to assorted real-world hardware.

There are four options for attending SL-BaSE, a Full-Conference pass, a Business Conference (w/expo) pass, a Social Conference (w/expo) pass, and an expo-only pass. Also, there are deep discounts for early registration, saving as much as 68% off the at-the-door rates.

We’re still very early in the planning process, but we have the basics.

The Business Conference has 5 tracks, with 4 sessions on each of the 2 days. The tracks are:

Education
Business
Technology
Non-Profit
and “Sponsored”

The Social Conference has 5 tracks, with 4 sessions on Saturday, and 3 sessions on Sunday. The tracks are:

Business “inSL”
Art & Culture
Community
Building/Scripting
and Machinima

We are currently taking “Track Proposals” for any of these sessions, and hope that many NPC folks will send in concepts for presentations, especially in the “Education”, “Non-Profit”, “Art & Culture”, and “Community” tracks!

More info (and a full schedule, such as it is at this point) is on the website.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

Posted on

Halloween Party Preparations – Ghoulishly Grand!

The NPC Halloween party is just around the corner and Mercedes and Anika are kicking butt and taking names! =) If your NPO wishes to participate in the party, please send Mercedes or Anika the following with full perms (copy mod and transfer):

  • a Landmark to your office in NPC
  • a LOGO
  • a notecard about your NPO
  • a full perm item for your treat bag

    • These need to be submitted by October 15!

    Dress up and get the word out about your organization and P-A-R-T-Y with us on October 25! Here are the details…

    October 25, 2008
    4PM-11:30PM SLT

    NPC community-wide Halloween Party, with trick or treating at nonprofit offices (4PM SLT), dance party on NPC2-Aloft (4PM SLT), and a movie on NPC1-Plush (9PM SLT). The purpose is to promote the NPC two-island community as well as the individual 80 nonprofit residents, and to just have fun on Halloween. (PG costumes only as NPC2 is a PG sim). The venue is “in world” (inside Second Life): See SLURLS below under links. For more information, IM Anika Pastorelli inside SL.

    Written by: Beth J. Bates

    Posted on

    GRAND OPENING PARTY – ABLE (Association for Better Living & Education)

    Don’t be left out!! JOIN us for the grand opening party for ABLE (the Association for Better Living & Education). There will be fireworks, dancing to a live DJ, games and refreshments, as well as networking opportunities and a seriously fun time!

    ABLE (the Association for Better Living & Education) is an international nonprofit organization working in the fields of: Improving education & literacy; Drug rehabilitation & education; Inmate rehabilitation and life skills; and Campaigning in common sense values that bring communities together in harmony and cooperative achievement.

    October 11, 2008
    8PM SLT
    Aloft Nonprofit Commons
    More details…

    Come hang out and meet other NPC residents, volunteers and supporters!

    Written by: Beth J. Bates

    Posted on

    Columbus Day from a Native American Perspective – Oct. 12

    Many thanks to Nany Kayo for this great information…

    Virtual Native Lands will host an observation of the significance of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas from a Native American perspective on Sunday, October 12, 2008, on the beach at Commonwealth.

    Columbus arrived in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492 setting off a chain of events that changed the world. The first Columbus Day celebration was held in 1792, in New York City. In 1892. Columbus Day has been celebrated as a federal holiday in the United States on the second Monday of October since 1934, and is also celebrated as a state holiday in all but 17 US states, at taxpayer expense.

    For Native Americans, the celebration of Columbus Day is a celebration of a holocaust. People react to this observation in different ways ranging from pride, to defiance, to sadness, or to indifference. Many Native choose to protest the holiday as an insult with varying degrees of irreverent humor or rage. Others feel that the observation of a holocaust is beyond protest. Each person is invited to observe the Columbus Day holiday in their own way at the Commonwealth gathering.

    There will be a memorial and celebration of the lives of the Tiano people, who were almost entirely exterminated by Columbus and his crew within a few years of Columbus’ arrival, on the beach. Other meeting facilities on the Commonwealth sims are also available for use for pretty much anything anyone can dream up within legal and prim limits.

    Please contact Nany Kayo if you would like to arrange an event.

    Written by: Beth J. Bates

    Posted on

    NPC Scavenger Hunt – Grab Your Magnifying Glass and Join the Fun!

    Do you consider yourself a modern-day Columbo and LOVE searching for clues? Then please join us for NPC’s Scavenger Hunt! The hunt begins on August 22 @ 7PM SLT and continues through August 24 @ 8PM SLT. This is an awesome opportunity to become more aware of what Nonprofit Commons and its wonderful organizations are all about. And, c’mon, who doesn’t love an excellent hunt for goodies?

    The opening ceremonies begin at the Nonprofit Commons 2 Aloft @ 7PM SLT with a fabulous performance by Vincent Merricks. Don’t be left out! Come by and grab your clues!

    At the conclusion of the hunt, we’ll hold the closing ceremonies at Nonprofit Commons 1 Plush @ 8PM SLT with a stunning performance by Kim Siefert along with the prize awards ceremony.

    Prizes include:

    1st Prize – 25,000 Lindens
    2nd Prize – 2 Kiva Gift Certificates
    ***and many other fabulous prizes to be awarded***

    Seriously, you can pass up this rockin’ good time and these great prizes. Come out and learn more about Nonprofit Commons, meet new folks and have a wonderful time! WOOT!

    Written by: Beth J. Bates